Wind-motor.



No. 746,851. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1902.

' E. A. LAWVER.

WIND MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 12. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

H0 MODEL.

Patented December 15, 1903.

FFICE.

EDGAR A. LAVVVER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

WI D-MOTOR.

PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 746,851, dated D b r 15,1903. Application filed February 12, 1903. Serial Ilo. 148,065. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. LAWVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Deuver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wind-Motors, ofwhich'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wind-motors;v and its object isto provide a strong and durable wind wheel which requires littleattention to regulate, and is therefore suitable for use in the openfield or prairie for pumping Water or for other useful purpose.

A further object is to provide means for putting the power-wheel out ofservice in case of severe storm or when otherwise desired.

in open position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of the wind-wheelat rest, showing the tower or casing and the main shaft broken andshowing means for transmitting the power of the shaft to a pulley. Fig.2 is a plan View of the same, showing the positions of the severalblades when the wind is blowing in the direction of the arrow a. Arrow bindicates the direction of the turning of the wheel. Fig. 3 is aperspective of one of the arms or spokes, showing its feathering-bladeFig. 4 is an end viewof one of the arms orspokes, showing the bladeopen. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the blade folded or closed by thebell-crank lever.

The wheel or motor consists of a multiple of arms or spokes 1,'which aresecured to and extend radially from a hub 2, secured upon a verticalshaft 3, preferably by set-screws 4, and blades or sails 5, hingedlengthwise to and depending from the said spokes.

The shaft is'journaled in a hollow casing 6, which is suitably supportedin vertical position and forms the tower for the wind wheel. At thelower end of the shaft 8 is a bevelgear 7, which meshes with abevel-gear 8 and transmits the power of the motor to a beltwheel or thelike device for any useful pur- 0se. p The spokes 1 are preferablyfastened to and project radially from the hub-sections at equaldistances apart, and the hub-sections are fastened on the shaft at equaldistances apart and so that the spokes of the different hubsections willextend in the same radial planes .additionallstrength.

about the middle of each spoke, and a vertical brace 10 is secured tothe outer ends of the vertically-adjacent spokes and coiiperates withbraces 9 to maintain the relative positions of the spokes. Braces ortie-bars'll connect the outer ends of the horizontally-adjacent spokes.The spokes of the'several wings are thus thoroughly braced andstrengthened and may therefore be made of very light material.

The blades 5 are preferably made of light sheet metaland are fastenedlengthwise along the under side of the spokes by the strap hinges 12,Fig. 4, on which they turn or fold up under the spokes when comingagainst the wind. Coil-springs 13 are fastened at suitable distances tothe under sides of the spokes and have a long end depending down on thatside of the blades opposite to which they fold up, so as to check thesudden "jar on the open ing of the-blades and to form stops to limittheir opening. A small slot 14 is out in the hinge edge of the bladesfor the play of the coil of the spring. 7 The inner end of each blade isrounded off, so that it may fold up between the spokes, as shown in Fig.2.

When in opera-tiom'the blades of the wheel which are coming into thewind are folded up, as shown in Fig 2, and offer practically only theiredges against the wind. The blades of the spokes which are going fromthe wind are unfolded and hang down, as shown by the blades on the leftof the shaft in Fig.1, and form a vertical wing or wall to receive thefull blast of the wind.

When it is desired to put the wheel out of service, all the blades maybe folded up by means of the levers 15, which are fulcrumed in the boxes16 on top and near the inner end of each spoke. 'One arm 17 of saidlever extends down along the spring-stop side of the blade, while theother arm 18 reaches out from the spoke on the opposite side of theblade slightly down in a curve, so as to clear the spokes, and isprovided with an eye 19 on its end. i

The lever-arms 18 on the vertically-adjacent spokes are connected byvertical pushrods 20, which are secured at their lower ends in eyes 21on a loose collar 22, encircling the casing of the shaft. Below saidcollar 22 is another flanged collar 23, also encircling theshaft-casing. A lever-bar 24, having a fulcrum-bearing 25 on the side ofthe shaft-casing, carries at its shorter end 26 a short curved distancerod or pitman 27, which is secured at its upper end to the push-collar23. A spiral spring 28, hanging from an eyed bracket 29 below thecollar23, is secured at its lower end in an eye 30 on the long end ofthe leverbar 24 and tends to lift said lever-bar, and thereby hold thepush-collar 23 down out of the way of the revolving loose collar 22. Ahand pull-cord 31 hangs down from the end of the lever-bar 24 to thefoot of the shaft, where it may be secured in any suitable way.

To turn or lift all blades to'a horizontal position, so that they willofier only the edges both coming against and going from the wind, thelong end of the lever-bar 24 is pulled down by means of the hand-cord,and this lever operates to push the collar 23 up against the loosecollar 22 and pushing with it the pushrods 20, attached to thebell-crank levers 15. The upward movement of the arm 18 of saidbell-crank levers will turn up their arms 17, which bear against andlift or turn up the blades.

While myinvention,as shown and described, is primarily intended for useas a windmill, it is obvious that it may be used for any purpose forwhich it is adapted and may be modified in details of structure andarrangement to adapt it for various purposes without departing from thespirit of the concluding claims.

I claim- 1. In a wind-wheel and in combination, a shaft, a plurality ofradial spokes fixed thereto in coaxial sections corresponding spokes ofeach section being in the same radial plane, of independently swingingblades loosely hinged lengthwise to, and depending from each of saidspokes, yielding spring-stops depending from said spokes to limit theopening of said blades and means for lifting said blades to close thesame, substantially as described.

2. In a wind-Wheel and in combination, a shaft, a plurality of radialspokes fixed thereto in coaxial sections corresponding spokes of eachsection being in the same radial plane, of swinging blades looselyhinged lengthwise to and depending from said spokes and yieldingspring-sustained cushioning-arms depending from said spokes upon thatside of the blades opposite to which they fold up and arranged to limitin a yielding cushioning manner the opening swing of said blades,substantially as described.

3. In a wind-wheel and in combination, a shaft, a plurality of radialspokes fixed thereto in coaxial sections corresponding spokes of eachsection being in the same radial plane, swinging blades loosely hingedlengthwise to and depending from said spokes, and means for closing saidblades consisting of bell-crank levers having a hearing by one arm onsaid blade and a push-rod connection to their other arm and means forlifting said push-rods substantially as described.

4. In a wind-wheel, a plurality of spokes each having a loosely-hingeddepending independently-swinging blade, spring-arms depending from saidspokes on that side of the blades opposite to which they fold up andadapted to arrest the opening of the blades substantially as described.

5. In a wind-wheel, and in combination, a shaft, a plurality of spokesfixed thereon in coaxial sections corresponding spokes of each sectionbeing in the same radial plane, bellcrank levers journaled lengthwise ofsaid spokes,swinging blades loosely hinged lengthwise to and dependingfrom said spokes, bellcrank levers journaled lengthwise upon said spokeshaving one arm depending transversely of and adapted to bear against andlift that side of-the blades opposite to which they fold up and theirother arm connected to a vertical push-rod and means to lift saidpush-rod whereby to close said blades substantially as described.

6. In a wind-wheel and in combination, a shaft, a plurality of spokesfixed thereon in coaxial sections corresponding spokes of each sectionbeingin the same radial plane, looselyswinging blades hinged lengthwiseto and depending from said spokes, bell-crank levers fulcrumed on saidspokes and turning transversely thereof, and having one arm depending onone side of said blade and their other arm projecting out from saidspokes at the opposite sides of the blade, vertical push-rods connectedto said projecting lever-arms and secured at their lower end to a loosecollar encircling the shaft,'and means for raising said collar wherebyto lift said push-rods and close said blades substantially as described.In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

1 EDGAR A. LAWVER. Witnesses:

A. ROLAND JOHNSON, HANNAH J. OTooLE.

